Famous Creighton University Alumni
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People on this list must have gone to Creighton University and be of some renown.
List of famous alumni from Creighton University, with photos when available. Prominent graduates from Creighton University include celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes and more. This list of distinguished Creighton University alumni is loosely ordered by relevance, so the most recognizable celebrities who attended Creighton University are at the top of the list. This directory is not just composed of graduates of this school, as some of the famous people on this list didn't necessarily earn a degree from Creighton University.
The list you're viewing is made up of many different graduates, including Bob Gibson and Kyle Korver.
This list answers the questions “Which famous people went to Creighton University?” and “Which celebrities are Creighton University alumni?”- Leo Joseph Ryan Jr. (May 5, 1925 – November 18, 1978) was an American teacher and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. Representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until his assassination as part of the Jonestown massacre in 1978. After the Watts Riots of 1965, Ryan took a job as a substitute school teacher to investigate and document conditions in the area. In 1970 he decided to investigate the conditions at California prisons. While presiding as chairman of the Assembly committee that oversaw prison reform, he used a pseudonym to enter Folsom Prison as an inmate. During his time in Congress, Ryan traveled to Newfoundland to investigate the practice of seal hunting. He was also famous for vocal criticism of the lack of Congressional oversight of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and authored the Hughes–Ryan Amendment, passed in 1974. Ryan was shot and killed at an airstrip in Guyana in November 1978 while his party was attempting to escape a dangerous situation. He had traveled to Guyana to investigate claims that people were being held against their will at the Peoples Temple Jonestown settlement. Ryan was killed the same day as the mass suicide, 11 days after he was reelected to a fourth term. He was the second sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives to be assassinated in office, after James M. Hinds in 1868. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1983.
- Age: Dec. at 53 (1925-1978)
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Joe Ricketts
John Joseph Ricketts (born July 16, 1941) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, former CEO and former chairman of TD Ameritrade. He has a net worth of US$2.7 billion as of 2019 according to Forbes. He has pursued a variety of other entrepreneurial ventures including DNAinfo.com, High Plains Bison, The Lodge at Jackson Fork, and The American Film Company. Ricketts also engages in philanthropy through The Ricketts Art Foundation, Opportunity Education Foundation, The Cloisters on the Platte Foundation, and The Ricketts Conservation Foundation.- Age: 83
- Birthplace: Nebraska City, Nebraska
- Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Anderson and his six fellow crew members were killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the craft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Anderson served as the payload commander and lieutenant colonel in charge of science experiments on the Columbia. Anderson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
- Age: Dec. at 43 (1959-2003)
- Birthplace: Plattsburgh, New York
- Edward Zorinsky (November 11, 1928 – March 6, 1987) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska from 1976 until his death from a heart attack in Omaha in 1987. He was the first Jew elected to statewide office in Nebraska, and was previously the mayor of Omaha, elected as a Republican.
- Age: Dec. at 58 (1928-1987)
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Paul Theron Silas (born July 12, 1943) is an American professional basketball player, who is best known for playing power forward. As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team, including twice on the first team. He won three NBA championships: two with the Boston Celtics and one with the Seattle SuperSonics. During his NBA career, Silas collected more than 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds over sixteen seasons.
- Age: 81
- Birthplace: Prescott, Arkansas
Albert Brown
DentistAlbert "Doc" Brown was an American former dentist, veteran of World War II and prisoner of war. At the age of 105, Brown was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March at the time of his death in 2011.- Age: Dec. at 105 (1905-2011)
- Birthplace: North Platte, Nebraska
John McKay
LawyerJohn Larkin McKay (born June 19, 1956) is a former United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington.- Age: 68
- Birthplace: Seattle, Washington
- Roman Lee Hruska (August 16, 1904 – April 25, 1999) was a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Nebraska. Hruska was known as one of the most vocal conservatives in the United States Senate during the 1960s and 1970s. Hruska was also co-founder of the Douglas Theatre Company, based in Nebraska.
- Age: Dec. at 94 (1904-1999)
- Birthplace: David City, Nebraska, USA
- Ernest William Chambers (born July 10, 1937) is an American politician who represents North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature. Chambers is the longest-serving state senator in the history of Nebraska. He is the only African-American to have run for governor and the US Senate in Nebraska's history.
- Age: 87
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Richard Mulrooney
Richard Mulrooney (born November 3, 1976 in Memphis, Tennessee) is a former American soccer player. He is the current Men's Soccer coach at the University of Memphis- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee
- John Albert Knebel (born October 4, 1936) is a former United States government official who served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Gerald Ford.
- Age: 88
- Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Ron Hansen (born December 8, 1947) is an American novelist, essayist, and professor. He is known for writing literary westerns exploring the people and history of the American heartland, notably The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (1983), which was adapted into an acclaimed film.
- Age: 77
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
- Donald Raymond Keough (September 4, 1926 – February 24, 2015) was an Irish-American businessman and Chairman of the Board of Allen & Company LLC, a New York investment banking firm. He was elected to that position in April 1993.Keough retired as president, chief operating officer and a director of The Coca-Cola Company in April 1993, positions he had held since early 1981; his tenure with the company began in 1950. From 1986 to 1993 he served as Chairman of the Board of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., the world's largest bottling system. From 1985 to 1989 he also served as Chairman of Columbia Pictures, Inc., before it was acquired by Sony, Inc. Keough is probably best known for his major role in promoting the infamous reformulation of Coca-Cola, "New Coke" in April, 1985. He was largely responsible for convincing Coca-Cola CEO Roberto Goizueta to bring back the original Coca-Cola less than three months later, amidst a firestorm of negative consumer backlash. Keough was on the Boards of IAC/InterActiveCorp, Yankee Global Enterprises LLC, Berkshire Hathaway and The Coca-Cola Company, to which he was elected in February 2004. In addition, he served for many years as a member of the Boards of McDonald's Corporation, The Washington Post Company, H. J. Heinz Company, Convera Corporation and The Home Depot. He was chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees and a Life Trustee of the University of Notre Dame. He was also a trustee of several other educational, charitable and civic organizations.
- Age: 98
- Floyd Kalber (December 23, 1924 – May 13, 2004) was an American television journalist and anchorman, nicknamed "The Big Tuna."
- Age: Dec. at 79 (1924-2004)
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Kyle Elliot Korver (born March 17, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player currently working as a player development coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. Korver ranks among the most prolific 3-point shooters in NBA history, ranking fourth all-time in 3-point field goals made and third all-time in 3-point field goal percentage.
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Lakewood, California
- Frank Aloysius Barrett (November 10, 1892 – May 30, 1962) was an American soldier, lawyer and politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and as the 21st Governor of Wyoming.
- Age: Dec. at 69 (1892-1962)
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Lee Terry
Politician, LawyerLee Raymond Terry (born January 29, 1962) is a former American politician and a senior law firm adviser. From 1999 to 2015, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district as a member of the Republican Party. Since 2015, Terry reactivated his law license and is a senior adviser to the government relations and public group for the international law firm Kelley Drye & Warren.- Age: 63
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Virginia "Ginni" Lamp Thomas (born February 23, 1957), an American attorney and lobbyist who founded Liberty Consulting. She had previously founded the conservative advocacy group Liberty Central, and served as its president until its merger with the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty. She writes columns for The Daily Caller and previously worked at The Heritage Foundation. Thomas is an anti-cult activist, having previously been a participant in the Lifespring self-awareness movement.She is the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Her lobbying activities have occasionally been raised as a potential source of conflict of interest for her husband.
- Age: 68
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
- Barbara Lynn Cubin (born November 30, 1946) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having served as the sole member of that body from Wyoming. In the 109th Congress, she was a member of the House Resources Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In the wake of the Democratic takeover of Congress in the 2006 elections, Cubin was relegated to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as a Member of both the Health and Telecommunications Subcommittees. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Wyoming and also the only member of Congress who was a member of the National Rifle Association Board of Directors.
- Age: 78
- Birthplace: Salinas, California, USA
- Robert Gibson (born November 9, 1935) is an American retired baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–75). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" (after actor Hoot Gibson), Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 earned run average (ERA) during his career. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. In 1981 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Cardinals retired his uniform number 45 in September 1975 and inducted him into the team Hall of Fame in 2014. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Gibson overcame childhood illness to excel in youth sports, particularly basketball and baseball. After briefly playing under contract to both the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Gibson decided to continue playing only baseball professionally. Once becoming a full-time starting pitcher in July 1961, Gibson began experiencing an increasing level of success, earning his first All-Star appearance in 1962. Gibson won two of three games he pitched in the 1964 World Series, then won 20 games in a season for the first time in 1965. Gibson also pitched three complete game victories in the 1967 World Series. The pinnacle of Gibson's career was 1968, when he posted a 1.12 ERA for the season and then followed that by recording 17 strikeouts during Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. Over the course of his career, Gibson became known for his fierce competitive nature and the intimidation factor he used against opposing batters. Gibson threw a no-hitter during the 1971 season, but began experiencing swelling in his knee in subsequent seasons. After retiring as a player in 1975, Gibson later served as pitching coach for his former teammate Joe Torre. At one time a special instructor coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, Gibson was later selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Gibson is the author of the memoir Pitch by Pitch, with Lonnie Wheeler.
- Age: 89
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Mike Johanns
Politician, LawyerMichael Owen Johanns (born June 18, 1950) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States Senator from Nebraska, from 2009 to 2015. He served as the 38th Governor of Nebraska from 1999 until 2005, and he was chair of the Midwestern Governors Association in 2002. In 2005, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture, where he served from 2005 to 2007, becoming the fourth Nebraskan to hold that position. Born in Osage, Iowa, Johanns is the graduate of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Creighton University School of Law. He began his career as an attorney working in private practice before he clerked for the Nebraska Supreme Court. Elected to the Lancaster County Board as a Democrat in 1983, Johanns served there until 1987, and was elected to the Lincoln City Council in 1988. In 1991, he was elected the 47th Mayor of Lincoln, and was reelected in 1995. In Nebraska's 1998 gubernatorial election, Johanns defeated Democratic political aide Bill Hoppner and was reelected in 2002 defeating insurance executive Stormy Dean. In 2008, Johanns ran for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel. He won the Republican primary, defeating businessman Pat Flynn; and later won the general election, defeating Democratic challenger Scott Kleeb. He was sworn in on January 3, 2009; and along with Jim Risch of Idaho, he became only one of two new Republican senators sworn into the 111th United States Congress. On February 18, 2013, Johanns announced that he would not run for reelection to a second term in 2014.- Age: 74
- Birthplace: Osage, Iowa, USA
- Francis Eugene George (January 16, 1937 – April 17, 2015) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop Emeritus of Chicago. He was the eighth Archbishop of Chicago (1997–2014) and previously served as Bishop of Yakima (1990–1996) and Archbishop of Portland, Oregon (1996–1997). A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, George was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1998. He served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2007 to 2010. On September 20, 2014, Pope Francis accepted George's resignation and appointed Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Spokane, Washington, to succeed him as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In this unusual circumstance, George was permitted to remain as the incumbent archbishop until Cupich was installed to succeed him on November 18, 2014. He was initially diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and died from the disease in 2015.
- Age: 88
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Francis P. Matthews
Francis Patrick Matthews (March 15, 1887 – October 18, 1952) served as the 8th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus from 1939 to 1945, the 49th United States Secretary of the Navy from 1949 to 1951, and United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1951 to 1952.- Age: Dec. at 65 (1887-1952)
- Birthplace: Albion, Nebraska
Brian Mullan
Brian Mullan (born April 23, 1978) is a retired American soccer player. He is one of only four players to have won the MLS Cup five or more times. He also won four caps for the United States between 2004 and 2007.- Age: 46
- Birthplace: Mineola, New York
George Wells Parker
PoliticianGeorge Wells Parker (September 18, 1882 – July 28, 1931) was an African-American political activist and writer who co-founded the Hamitic League of the World. His parents were born in Virginia and South Carolina, and his family moved to Omaha when Parker was young. He attended Creighton University and later graduated from Harvard University, one of the first African-Americans to do so. As a Black nationalist and contemporary of Marcus Garvey, Parker's views on Africa as the cradle of civilization foreshadowed increased fascination with Egyptian imagery by African-Americans. In 1916 Parker started helping African Americans resettle in Omaha and, by 1917, he helped found the Hamitic League of the World to promote African pride and black economic progress. As a historian committed towards accelerating racial self-awareness, Parker's work called "for the revision of all textbooks that falsified and deleted the truth concerning Black folk". His lecture on "The African Origin of the Grecian Civilization" was delivered to supporters in Omaha and then published in the Journal of Negro History in 1917. Parker argued that new anthropological research had demonstrated that Mesopotamian and Greek civilization originated in Africa. In 1918 the League published his pamphlet "Children of the Sun", which further developed his arguments for the African origins presented in classical Egyptian, Asian and European civilizations. Author, journalist, and historian Joel Augustus Rogers named this publication as a valuable resource for his perspective.Parker had an ideological counterpart and disciple in Cyril Briggs, a Caribbean-born journalist based in New York City who founded the African Blood Brotherhood. The organizations created by these two men often clashed and collaborated, although the latter leaned decidedly towards [Communistic] content and values. Additionally, the Hamitic League of the World published The Crusader in September 1918, a publication actually edited by Briggs, furthering the involvement of these two groups. In 1922, Parker moved to Chicago to pursue "Newspaper and magazine work" and died there almost a decade later, leaving a wife, two brothers and two sisters. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Omaha.- Age: Dec. at 48 (1882-1931)
- Jeanne has had an email address since 1980. She is proud of being part of the technology revolution over the last 24 years and working with some of the world's greatest high tech companies. Jeanne likes to say, "I have participated with some of the most successful companies of our times, seen great CEO's and teams in action and learned how to and how not to build a great company…" She represents StarVest on several technology company boards. Prior to StarVest, Jeanne's 30-year business career includes 24 years in the information technology field and fourteen years in the venture capital business as a Managing Director for Olivetti Ventures. These U.S.-based funds invested in 40 early and growth-stage information technology companies. From 1981 to 1990, Jeanne was with ATT and gained many years of operating experience as Product Director for a Bell Laboratories venture business unit. From 1971 to 1978, she was with Bozell Worldwide, in business marketing roles. Bringing a full grasp of the issues facing growth-stage companies today, Jeanne contributes in the areas of marketing, channel development, product and strategic direction for technology companies. She helped build the New York New Media Angel Investors Program and served as Chair of the selection program. She is a frequent guest lecturer on the subject of investing in technology companies.
- David Lawrence McKay (born March 14, 1950) is a Canadian former Major League Baseball player and a longtime coach at the MLB level, currently the first base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. As an active player, he was an infielder for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays (where he was a player for the maiden edition of the Jays as an expansion team) and the Oakland Athletics. He is the father of Cody McKay. He is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, elected in 2001. He was inducted into the Columbia Basin College Hall of Fame in January 2012.
- Age: 74
- Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada
Mike Fahey
PoliticianMichael Gahan "Mike" Fahey, (born December 20, 1943) is an American businessman who served as the 49th mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. He first took office on June 11, 2001. Fahey won his second term as mayor in the May 10, 2005 election. He is a member of the Democratic Party and is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.- Age: 81
- Catherine Liggins Hughes (born Catherine Elizabeth Woods; April 22, 1947) is an American entrepreneur, radio and television personality and business executive. Hughes founded the media company Radio One (now known as Urban One), and when the company went public in 1999, she became the first African-American woman to head a publicly traded corporation. In the 1970s, Hughes created the urban radio format called "The Quiet Storm" on Howard University's radio station WHUR with disc jockey and fellow Howard student Melvin Lindsay.
- Age: 77
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Jim Esch
PoliticianJames D. "Jim" Esch was the Democratic nominee for the 2006 and 2008 general elections for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives, challenging Republican incumbent Lee Terry.- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
David Wagenfuhr
David Wagenfuhr (born June 22, 1982 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) was an American soccer player, who retired at the age of 26 due to injury. Wagenfuhr played four years of college soccer for Creighton University, where he was a standout player, being named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference three times. He also played in the USL Premier Development League for Boulder Rapids Reserve. Wagenfuhr was drafted 31st overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the Dallas Burn. Wagenfuhr saw no league playing time in his first year with the team. He became a starter in 2005. He scored his first career goal on July 8, 2006 against New York Red Bulls. He retired from soccer in December, 2008.- Age: 42
- Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Johnny Torres (born April 24, 1976 in Medellín, Colombia) is a Colombian-American soccer midfielder and coach who is currently the head coach of his alma mater, Creighton University. Torres has played in Major League Soccer, USL-1, and also played for the Omaha Vipers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He has also earned caps with the U.S. Futsal team.
- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
- Rodney Alan "The Sheriff" Buford (born November 2, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada.Buford played collegiately for Creighton University and was selected by the NBA's Miami Heat in the second round (53rd overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft. After seeing limited playing time during his rookie season with the Heat, Buford moved to Italy starting the season with Basket Rimini, but joined the Philadelphia 76ers in December for the 2000–01 season. He then moved on to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings, and finally the New Jersey Nets. Buford averaged 6.4 points per game in his NBA career. Buford played overseas for the Greek European giant Panathinaikos BC during the 2002–03 season. He started the 2006–07 season in the Euroleague with the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club from Israel, but he was released in December due to discipline violations and poor form. After a few months, it was discovered that he had failed a drug test during his time in Maccabi Tel Aviv, his third violation in his career. He recently played for the Ukrainian team Azovmash Mariupol, a team for which he played the 2005–06 season, after being banned by FIBA for testing positive in use of cannabis before a Euroleague game while still playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Consequently, he left the team in February 2007 after playing just one game. In March 2009 he played two games in Lebanon for Al Riyadi. At the start of the 2009–10 season, he moved to Eisbären Bremerhaven of Germany's highest division Basketball Bundesliga. On 24 December 2009, Buford traveled to the U.S. to attend to family business. He agreed to return in early January, but was not on the plane with which he was scheduled to arrive. All attempts by the team to contact him were unsuccessful and his contract was dissolved on 11 January 2010.On September 19, 2011, it was announced that Buford had signed a deal with the Halifax Rainmen of the National Basketball League of Canada to play for the 2011-12 season. However, on November 14, the Rainmen traded him to the London Lightning for Tyrone Levett.
- Age: 47
- Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Anthony Lamar Tolliver (born June 1, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays.
- Age: 39
- Birthplace: Springfield, Missouri
- Lenard Benoit Benjamin [be-NOYT] (; born November 22, 1964) is an American retired professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft. A 7'0" center from Creighton University, Benjamin played for nine NBA teams in 15 seasons from 1985-2000. He played for the Clippers (1985–91), Seattle SuperSonics (1991–93), Los Angeles Lakers (1993, 1999 preseason), New Jersey Nets (1993–95), Vancouver Grizzlies (1995), Milwaukee Bucks (1995–96), Toronto Raptors (1996), Philadelphia 76ers (1998–99) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1999).Benjamin's best year as a professional came during the 1988–89 NBA season as a member of the Clippers, appearing in 79 games and averaging 16.4 ppg. In his NBA career, he had a .541 field goal percentage, recorded 4,604 defensive rebounds and 1,581 blocks and averaged 11.4 points and 2.0 blocks per game. Benjamin also played briefly in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the latter part of his career. In 8 games over two seasons with the Yakima Sun Kings and Grand Rapids Hoops, he averaged 10.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest.He is the Clippers' career leader in blocked shots (1,117) and in blocked shots per game (2.75).
- Age: 60
- Birthplace: Monroe, Louisiana
John Joseph Cavanaugh III
Politician, LawyerJohn Joseph Cavanaugh III (born August 1, 1945) is a Nebraska Democratic politician. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he graduated from Creighton Preparatory School in 1963, from Regis College in Denver, Colorado in 1967 and from Creighton University School of Law in 1972, all Roman Catholic schools. He was admitted to the bar in 1972 and set up practice in Omaha. From 1968 to 1970 he served in the United States Army. In 1972 he was elected to the Nebraska Legislature and served until 1976 when he was elected to represent Nebraska's 2nd district in the Ninety-fifth United States Congress. He was reelected to the Ninety-sixth United States Congress serving from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 1981. He did not run for reelection in 1980, opting to resume his practice in Omaha. He is a Catholic and was a delegate for Nebraska to the Democratic National Convention of 1980, 2000, and 2004.- Age: 79
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Brad Ashford
PoliticianJohn Bradley Ashford (born November 10, 1949) is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district from 2015 to 2017. He was formerly a member of the Nebraska Legislature, representing the 6th district from 1987 to 1995 and the 20th district from 2007 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, defeating incumbent Republican Lee Terry. In 2016, he lost his bid for reelection to Republican Don Bacon. He ran again for the seat in 2018, but lost the primary to Kara Eastman.- Age: 75
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Lawrence Timothy "Buck" Shaw (March 28, 1899 – March 19, 1977) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach for Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley, the San Francisco 49ers, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he became a star player on Knute Rockne's first unbeaten team. He started his coaching career with one year as head coach at North Carolina State and four years as a line coach at Nevada in Reno. At Santa Clara, he compiled an impressive 47–10–4 (.803) record; his first two teams posted consecutive Sugar Bowl wins over LSU. After war-time service, his only team at California went 4–5–1 in 1945. In 1946, Shaw became the San Francisco 49ers' first head coach in the old All-America Football Conference and continued through 1954; they entered the National Football League in from 1950. After two seasons as the first Air Force Academy varsity head coach (1956–1957), he returned to the NFL in 1958 with Philadelphia. He stepped down after three seasons, following their win in the championship game over Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.
- Age: Dec. at 77 (1899-1977)
- Birthplace: Mitchellville, Iowa
Jimmy Murphy
James Edward Murphy, Jr. (November 20, 1891 – March 9, 1965) was a self-taught American cartoonist who is best known for his long-run family comic strip, Toots and Casper. His earliest strips, signed J.E. Murphy, had a crude awkward look, but as his cartooning improved, his full signature of Jimmy Murphy appeared. Born in Chicago, Murphy grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. When he was 15 he began selling political cartoons to the local newspapers, including the Omaha Examiner. He briefly attended Creighton University in Omaha, but he left home in 1910, spending the next eight years drawing political cartoons for the Inland Herald (Spokane, Washington), the Oregon Journal (Portland, Oregon) and the San Francisco Call & Post.- Age: Dec. at 73 (1891-1965)
Jim Vokal
James Daniel Vokal Jr. (born June 28, 1970) was a member of the City Council of Omaha, Nebraska, representing district 3, which included Midtown Omaha, Downtown Omaha, and The Old Market from 2001-2009.- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
David E Pylipow
BusinesspersonDavid Pylipow is currently executive vice president, human resources. He oversees all human resources functions and labor relations.Robert E. Davis
Robert E. Davis (August 28, 1939 – August 4, 2010) was the Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from 2009 to 2010. He was first appointed in 1993 and became chief justice on January 12, 2009.- Age: Dec. at 70 (1939-2010)
- Birthplace: Topeka, Kansas
John Dale Ryan
General John Dale Ryan (December 10, 1915 – October 27, 1983) was the seventh Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General Ryan served in a dual capacity. He was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which, as a body, acts as the principal military adviser to the president, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. In his other capacity, he was responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force for managing the vast human and materiel resources of the world's most powerful aerospace force. Ryan is the subject of one of President Richard Nixon's more severe rants.- Age: Dec. at 67 (1915-1983)
- Birthplace: Cherokee, Iowa
Brian Kamler
Brian Kamler (born February 12, 1972) is an American retired soccer midfielder, who played two seasons in the USISL, winning the 1995 U.S. Open Cup and league titles with the Richmond Kickers, and ten seasons in Major League Soccer. He is currently the head coach of Green Bay Voyageurs FC in USL League Two.- Age: 53
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Kimera Bartee
Baseball playerKimera Anotchi Bartee (born July 21, 1972) is a former professional outfielder, and current first base coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is an alumnus of Omaha Central High School and Creighton University where he was also part of Creighton's NCAA College World Series appearance (1991).- Age: 52
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Steve Lathrop
PoliticianSteve Lathrop (born April 1, 1957) is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. From 2007 to 2015, he was a member of the Nebraska Legislature, representing an Omaha-area district. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Lathrop is the fifth of nine children born to David and Shirley Lathrop. He attended Holy Name Catholic Elementary School, and Archbishop Rummel High School in Omaha, which later became Roncalli Catholic High School. Lathrop graduated in 1975, and then attended Creighton University to pursue that school's "three and three" Business/Law School degree program and graduated in 1979. He received his J.D. in 1981, shortly thereafter entering private practice after law school. Senator Lathrop was elected in 2006 to represent Nebraska's 12th Legislative District and was re-elected in 2010. The 12th Legislative District consists of the City of Ralston and neighborhoods to the west of Ralston that is primarily the area of Douglas County known as Millard. Lathrop was elected as the Chairman of the Business and Labor Committee in 2009, 2011, and 2013. He is also the Chairman of the Developmental Disabilities Special Investigative Committee, and Vice-chairman of the Judiciary Committee. In addition, he currently serves on the Executive Board, the Agriculture Committee, the Committee on Committees, and the Rules Committee.- Age: 67
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Ray Madden
PoliticianRay John Madden (February 25, 1892 – September 28, 1987) was a United States Representative from Indiana.- Age: Dec. at 95 (1892-1987)
Matt Peckham
Matt C. Peckham (born October 29, 1972) is an American journalist who writes about interactive entertainment, science and the cultural impact of technology. He was TIME Magazine's games critic, before joining Nintendo of America in late 2017.- Age: 52
- Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin
Alan Benes
Baseball playerAlan Paul Benes (born January 21, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for three teams over the course of eight seasons. Benes attended Lake Forest High School in Illinois and Creighton University, where he was part of Creighton's NCAA College World Series appearance (1991). In 1991, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. He began his major league career in 1995, pitching in three games for the St. Louis Cardinals. His highlight years included the 1996 and 1997 seasons with the Cardinals, when he won a combined 22 games and struck out 291 batters over 353 innings. His performance during the 1996 season helped the Cardinals reach the playoffs for the first time since 1987. During the 1996 post-season, Alan posted an 0–1 record with a 2.84 ERA. In 1997, batters hit only .219 against him, and Benes had 160 strikeouts in 161.2 innings. His 2.89 ERA would have placed him tied for the sixth-best ERA than year, but he fell just 1/3 of an inning short of the 162 required innings when he had a shoulder injured that ended his season in late July. At the time of this injury he ranked third in the league in strikeouts.Benes sat out the majority of the 1998 and 1999 seasons with an arm injury, which would never allow him to return to top form. From 2000 through 2003, he pitched a combined 123 innings with St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. After various stints in the minor leagues following the 2003 season, Alan retired before the 2007 season and is currently serving as an instructor to the St. Louis Cardinals. He is the younger brother and former teammate of retired major league pitcher Andy Benes, and the older brother of former minor league pitcher Adam Benes and the uncle of minor league pitcher Drew Benes.- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Evansville, Center Township, Indiana
Robert Vernon Denney
Judge, Politician, LawyerRobert Vernon Denney (April 11, 1916 – June 26, 1981) was a Nebraska Republican politician, a United States Representative and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.- Age: Dec. at 65 (1916-1981)
- Birthplace: Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA
Gene Harmon
Milo "Gene" Harmon (January 27, 1952 – December 11, 2015) was a former American college basketball player. At 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), Harmon played small forward for Coach Eddie Sutton at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska from 1971 to 1974. He was the leading scorer and Team MVP all 3 years he played on the varsity team, and was a member of Eddie Sutton's first NCAA tournament team in 1974. He left the school as the 4th leading scorer in Creighton University history with a total of 1,369 points and is currently the 15th leading scorer of all-time. By NCAA rule, freshmen were not allowed to compete at the varsity level, so his stats totals only include his sophomore through senior seasons. Harmon ended his college career by scoring 22 points against the University of Louisville to secure a 3rd-place finish in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA tournament in 1974 at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In a combined total of three NCAA tournament games in 1974, Creighton went 2–1 with victories over the University of Texas (77–61) and University of Louisville (80–71), but lost to the University of Kansas (55–54) in the round of 16. Harmon averaged 20 points during the tournament and did not miss a single free throw (10–10). He was named to the 1974 Midwest All-Regional Team. Harmon was an AP Honorable Mention All-American and was selected to play in the 1974 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) College All-Star Game representing the West team.Following his senior season, Harmon was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 17th pick in the 6th round of the 1974 NBA Draft.- Age: 73
- Birthplace: Jerome, Idaho
Andrew Peterson
Andrew Peterson (born December 2, 1984 in Edina, Minnesota) is a former American soccer player, currently retired.- Age: 40
- Birthplace: Edina, Minnesota
Michael Kraus
FootballerMichael Kraus may refer to: Michael Kraus (soccer) (born 1984), American soccer player Michael Kraus (handballer) (born 1983), German handball player Michael Kraus (minister) (1908–2003), Canadian entrepreneur and minister Michael Kraus (swimmer) (born 1955), German former swimmer- Age: 40
- Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee
Doug Struyk
Doug Struyk (born August 1, 1970) is a former Iowa State Representative from the 99th District. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011 and was an assistant minority leader. He resigned from the Iowa House in 2011 to work for the Iowa Secretary of State's office. Struyk received his B.A. from Iowa State University and his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law. He is vice president of his family's Council Bluffs, Iowa, lawn care business.During his last term in the Iowa House, Struyk served on the Agriculture, Commerce, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees, as well as serving as ranking member of the State Government Committee. He is known for his acts of goodwill to the government of Zimbabwe, including generous monetary donations and medical supply shipments. While on hiatus from his political and legal career in early 2011, Struyk was enlisted by the US government as a special forces advisor. During his brief military tenure, he played a pivotal role in the downfall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Struyk was first elected to the Iowa House in 2002 as a Democrat, defeating Republican opponent Stan Grote in the general election. On March 18, 2004, Struyk announced that he was switching parties to become a Republican, the announcement coming a day before the primary filing deadline. He won re-election as a Republican, defeating Democratic opponent David Phillips in the general election. He did not seek re-election to the Iowa House in 2010, instead taking a job with Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz as a policy advisor and legal counsel.- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Mike Boyle
Politician, LawyerMichael David "Mike" Boyle (born January 19, 1944, Los Angeles, California) is a Democratic politician in Nebraska, the former mayor of Omaha, and a current member of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Mike Boyle has been a lawyer in private practice in Omaha for over 30 years.- Age: 81
Bob Portman
Robert M. Portman (born March 22, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player. At 6'6" and 200 lb. he was positioned as a forward. Portman attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and played for three seasons (1966–1969). He left Creighton as the school's all-time leading scorer, a mark that stood for 22 seasons. Portman still holds the Creighton men's basketball single-game record for points scored in a game, 51 points against the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee on December 16, 1967. Portman also holds the record for most points in a single season, 738 points during the 1967–1968 season, for an average of 29.5 points per game, also still a Creighton Bluejays school record. His brother Tom played basketball at Loyola Marymount University and his brother Bill played basketball at Gonzaga University. [1]Portman played college basketball in an era where the NCAA did not allow college freshman to play on the varsity team. Thus, Portman played only three full seasons for the Creighton Bluejays, finishing 1,876 total points. Had Portman been able to play on the varsity squad, he most certainly would still be the school's all-time leading scorer. This feat is remarkable in another sense because Portman also played in the era of basketball where the three-point line was non-existent. Portman was selected by the Denver Rockets in the 1969 American Basketball Association Draft, and with the 7th overall pick in the 1969 NBA draft by the San Francisco Warriors. He never played in the ABA but played four seasons with the Warriors and retired from the league in 1973.- Age: 77
- Birthplace: California
Eugene D. O'Sullivan
Politician, LawyerEugene Daniel O'Sullivan (May 31, 1883 – February 7, 1968) was an American Democratic Party politician from Nebraska. He was born in on a cattle ranch near Kent, Kansas to John E. O'Sullivan and Josephine Kluh O'Sullivan on May 31, 1883. He was married to Ellen Katherine Lovely. He graduated from Christian Brothers College, in St. Joseph, Missouri, attended St. Benedict’s College, in Atchison, Kansas in 1904 and 1905 and graduated from Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska in 1910. He was admitted to the bar in 1910 and set up practice in Omaha. He ran for governor of Nebraska in 1934 but was unsuccessful in getting the Democratic nomination and was also unsuccessful as a write-in candidate in 1934 for the United States Senate. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1924, 1928, 1932, 1940, and 1944. He was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first United States Congress when he defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Howard Buffett, the father of Warren Buffett. He served from January 3, 1949 to January 3, 1951. He unsuccessfully ran for reelection in 1950 to the Eighty-second United States Congress when Buffet defeated him to reclaim his old seat. He resumed the practice of law and died in Omaha on February 7, 1968. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, in Omaha. He was a Catholic, an Elk and a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.- Age: Dec. at 84 (1883-1968)
Mike Friend
PoliticianMichael Friend (born October 4, 1961) is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He represented an Omaha district in the Nebraska Legislature, and later became and the first Director of Nebraska's Office of Violence Prevention.Friend was born in Omaha, and graduated from Millard Senior High School in 1980. He then attended Kearney State College from 1980 to 1982 and Creighton University in journalism, graduated in 1985 but studied law for an extra year. In 2002, Friend was elected to represent the 10th Legislative District in the Nebraska Legislature. He was re-elected in 2006 with over 76% of the vote. He sat on the General Affairs, Revenue, and Legislative Performance Audit Committees, and chaired the Urban Affairs Committee.In 2006, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill sponsored by Friend that restricts picketing and protesting at funerals. The law was designed to prohibit picketing a funeral within 300 feet of a cemetery, mortuary or church between one hour before and two hours following an event. The impetus for the legislation was a group of protesters who made a habit of picketing military funerals, as a form of protest against the United States.In August 2009, Friend resigned from the Legislature after governor Dave Heineman appointed him Director of the Office of Violence Prevention. The office holds the responsibility of overseeing grants to combat community violence. Friend left the Office of Violence Prevention in 2011.- Age: 63
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Scott Stahoviak
Baseball playerScott Edmund Stahoviak (born March 6, 1970) is a former Minnesota Twins first baseman. He attended Creighton University, and was an integral part of Creighton's NCAA College World Series appearance in 1991. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Stahoviak was drafted by the Twins in the first round with the twenty-seventh overall pick in the 1991 amateur draft. He signed with the Twins on June 13, 1991. He made his major league debut in 1993 and also played from 1995 through 1998. Stahoviak played at least part of every season in the minor leagues from 1991 until 2000 except 1996. His last two seasons were spent in the Chicago Cubs organization. He taught as a gym teacher at Saint Norbert School in Northbrook, IL. He resigned in 2008 to pursue a new career.} He now teaches Physical Education at Maple Middle School.- Age: 55
- Birthplace: Waukegan, Illinois
Todd Fink
SingerTodd Fink (born Todd Baechle, pronounced "BECK-lee") March 3, 1974 from Omaha, Nebraska is the lead singer of the band The Faint. He attended Omaha's Westside High School. Baechle was also one of four members of the band Commander Venus, which was started by Conor Oberst in Omaha, Nebraska in 1994. The members of Commander Venus were Oberst, Tim Kasher, Baechle, and Robb Nansel. The band released two albums before it broke up: 1995's Do You Feel at Home? and 1997's Uneventful Vacation. The band released music on Lumberjack Records (later known as Saddle Creek Records) and New York's Wind-up Records. As lead singer of The Faint, (formerly Norman Bailer), Fink has expanded his musical repertoire from the Commander Venus/Park Ave.-reminiscent Media to the more mature, acid-freak-out records Blank-Wave Arcade and Danse Macabre to the slightly mellowed Wet from Birth. With Fink in The Faint is his brother Clark Baechle on drums; Jacob Thiele on synth; Joel Peterson on bass; and the mysterious "Dapose" on guitar (Dapose joined the band during the recording of Danse Macabre). In March 2005, he married Orenda Fink (of Azure Ray), subsequently taking her surname as his married name. In 2007, Fink, Jacob Thiele, and Derek Pressnall (of Tilly and the Wall) started the dance party GOO, but tour schedules and Omaha venue changes shut the party down.- Age: 51
Mike Reasoner
Michael J. "Mike" Reasoner (born August 17, 1960) is a former state representative for Iowa's 95th District and a former assistant majority leader. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011. He received his BA and JD from Creighton University School of Law. During his last term in the Iowa House, Reasoner served on the Administration and Rules, Agriculture, and Ways and Means committees. He also served as vice chair of the Commerce Committee and as a member of the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommtitee. His political experience includes serving as an assistant minority leader in the Iowa House and serving as Union County Supervisor.- Age: 64
- Birthplace: Davenport, Iowa
Nancey Murphy
PhilosopherNancey Murphy (12 June 1951-) is an American philosopher and theologian who is Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. She received the B.A. from Creighton University (philosophy and psychology) in 1973, the Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley (philosophy of science) in 1980, and the Th.D. from the Graduate Theological Union (theology) in 1987.Brian O'Connor
Brian Patrick O'Connor (born April 20, 1971) is the head baseball coach of the Virginia Cavaliers. Previously serving as an Associate Head Coach at Notre Dame, he was hired on July 8, 2003, to replace the retiring Dennis Womack (who moved on to assistant athletic director of facilities management and operations). O'Connor has taken the Virginia baseball team to fourteen NCAA baseball tournaments during his 15 seasons in Charlottesville, including the 2009 College World Series, the first in school history; the 2011 College World Series, as the No. 1 national seed; the 2014 College World Series, as the No. 3 national seed; and the 2015 College World Series, which they won and became National Champions for the first time in school history.O'Connor is a native of Omaha, where the College World Series is held each year.- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Nancy Thompson
PoliticianNancy Thompson (born 1947) is a former Nebraska state senator from Papillion, Nebraska in the Nebraska Legislature.- Age: 78
Patrick Bourne
PoliticianPatrick Bourne (born April 11, 1964) is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He is a former member of the Nebraska Legislature and an attorney in Omaha, Nebraska. Bourne was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Southeast Community College in 1984, University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1994 and Creighton University School of Law in 1997. He was elected in 1998 to represent the 8th Nebraska legislative district and reelected in 2002. In his final term, he sat on the Education and Nebraska Retirement Systems committees as well as the Committee on Committees and the chairperson of the Judiciary committee. Due to term limits, he was not able to run for re-election in 2006.- Age: 60
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Carol Muske-Dukes (born 1945 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, critic, and professor, and the former poet laureate of California (2008–2011). Her most recent book of poetry, Sparrow (Random House, 2003), chronicling the love and loss of Muske-Dukes’ late husband, actor David Dukes, was a National Book Award finalist.
- Age: 79
- Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Mary Alice Williams
JournalistMary Alice Williams (born March 12, 1949) is a former co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today and a former anchor and news division Vice President on CNN. She is currently anchor of NJTV News on New Jersey's public television network, NJTV.As a broadcast journalist, Mary Alice Williams has spent her career doing investigative work on such topics as foreign policy, ethics, technology and health. She is also an associate professor of Journalism at SUNY Purchase. and was previously an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University.- Age: 76
- Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
William M. Connolly
JudgeWilliam M. Connolly (born March 31, 1938) is a former justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, appointed by Governor Ben Nelson in 1994. He attended Creighton University for both his undergraduate studies and his law degree. He is also a graduate of Creighton Preparatory School, class of 1956. He worked as the County Attorney of Adams County from 1967 to 1972, and was a Nebraska State Court of Appeals judge from 1992 to 1994.- Age: 86
Chad Gallagher
Chad Austin Gallagher (born May 30, 1969) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. A 6'10" center played collegiately at Creighton University from 1987 to 1991, and was selected with the fifth pick in the 2nd round of the 1991 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. Gallagher's NBA career consisted of 2 games for the Utah Jazz in February, 1994, playing 3 total minutes and scoring 6 points on 3-of-3 field goals.In October 1995 he was signed by the Miami Heat but was waived prior to the start of the 1995–96 NBA season.While playing at Creighton, he was the 1991 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.- Age: 55
- Birthplace: Rockford, Illinois
Curtis J. Guillory
Curtis John Guillory, S.V.D. (born September 1, 1943) is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont, TX. He became the fifth bishop of the 34-year-old Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont on July 28, 2000.- Age: 81
- Birthplace: Louisiana
Joseph G. Healey
Joseph Graham Healey is a specialist in Small Christian Communities (also known as Basic ecclesial community) as a teacher, researcher, and writer. Father Healey is a communications specialist, MA, with experience in the United States and Eastern Africa.- Age: 86
Michael Dubruiel
WriterMichael Dubruiel (November 16, 1958 – February 3, 2009) was a Roman Catholic author and speaker. Born in Keene, New Hampshire, Dubruiel served for four years in the U.S. Army before studying for a BA in philosophy from the now-closed St. Meinrad College and an MA in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University. Like his wife, Amy Welborn, Dubruiel became a widely read Catholic blogger while also writing several books.Works written by Dubruiel include: How To Get The Most Out Of The Eucharist The How-To Book of the Mass The Church's Most Powerful Novenas The Power of the Cross Praying in the Presence of Our Lord with Fulton J. Sheen Praying the Rosary A Pocket Guide to the Mass A Pocket Guide to Confession Pope John Paul's Biblical Way of the Cross- Age: Dec. at 50 (1958-2009)
- Birthplace: Keene, New Hampshire
Chad Meyers
Baseball playerChad William Meyers (born August 8, 1975 in Omaha, Nebraska), is a former infielder and outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs and the Seattle Mariners in part of four seasons spanning 1999–2003.- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Michael McCormack
JudgeMichael McCormack (born July 30, 1939) is a retired justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, appointed by Governor Ben Nelson in 1997. He graduated from Creighton University School of Law in 1963 as well as graduating from Creighton Preparatory School in 1957 and worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Douglas County from 1963 to 1966. He then worked as an attorney in a private practice until being appointed to the Court.- Age: 85
Ross Paule
Ross Paule (born April 4, 1976) is an American former soccer midfielder, who last played for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. Paule moved from Dallas, TX as a youth and joined the Memphis Futbol Club in Memphis, Tennessee. Paule also starred for Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee where he was awarded the Commercial Appeal's Best of the Preps title. Paule played college soccer at Creighton University, but left only after three seasons, becoming one of the first players to leave college early for a jump to MLS. He was drafted 11th overall by the Colorado Rapids in the 1997 MLS College Draft, and became a regular right away, a starter by his second season, appearing in 19 games and starting seven. Paule's best year with the Rapids came in 1998, when he tallied ten goals and six assists. He stayed with the team through 2001, running the team's midfield, and was atop the league's assist charts at midseason, when the Rapids traded for midfield maestro Carlos Valderrama. With no place for Paule on the squad, he was dealt to the MetroStars for Steve Shak and a draft pick. Paule spent the rest of 2001 and all of 2002 with the Metros, usually playing—in a new out-of-position role of defensive midfielder, as mandated by Metro coach Octavio Zambrano. Ross was traded to Columbus prior to the 2003 season for Chris Leitch and Jeff Matteo and spent the next two seasons there, scoring seven goals in 2004, including a hat-trick against Los Angeles Galaxy. In eight years in MLS, his totals are 31 goals and 41 assists. Paule retired early into the 2005 season because of post-concussion syndrome. He then went on to coach a local club, WASA, for the u12A girls team. After his first season with them he moved back to Memphis and is now the Executive Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Soccer where he is producing a Soccer Themed New Testament with high-profile professional soccer player testimonies inserted into the New Testament. Each testimony is unique as Paule is connecting the players character trait to a person of faith throughout the Bible. He also is the Executive Director of newly formed Arlington Soccer Academy in TN.- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee
Timothy Jennings
Timothy Zeph Jennings is a former Democratic member of the New Mexico Senate. He represented the 32nd District from 1978 to 2012, and served as Majority Whip from 1992 through 1996. While in office he was a dynamic legislator and had friends from both parties. Governor Martinez heavily opposed him in the 2012 election and the Republican Party ran Senator Clifford Pirtle against him. He currently is still heavily involved in the New Mexico legislature, and is often seen lobbying for healthcare. He also attended the New Mexico Military Institute.- Age: 74
- Birthplace: Roswell, New Mexico, USA
Julian Nash
Julian Nash (born March 1, 1983 in Oakland, California) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Santa Clara Sporting Men's Team in the Peninsula Soccer League and recently joined the prestigious coed varsity soccer club, The Lions, who have dominated Wednesday night soccer leagues in San Francisco for several years.- Age: 42
- Birthplace: Oakland, California
Ryan Junge
Ryan Junge (born September 7, 1984 in Omaha, Nebraska) is a retired American soccer player who last played for the Missouri Comets of the MISL. Junge played one year of collegiate soccer at Hastings College before transferring to Creighton University. He started 79 of 83 games, where he scored 8 goals and assisted on 14 more. He was 2 time all conference, 1st team all region and strength and conditioning All American while at Creighton. He was drafted in the MLS's second round, 15th overall, by the Columbus Crew in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft and appeared in 13 matches, 3 of them starts in three seasons with the Black & Gold. Junge was a part of the team that won the 2008 MLS Championship. In September 2010, Junge signed with the Omaha Vipers of the MISL. Junge led all rookies in scoring with 21pts. He was named to the 2010-2011 All MISL Rookie team.- Age: 40
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Donald J. Bisenius
Donald J. Bisenius is Senior Vice President of the Single Family Credit Guarantee Business at Freddie Mac.- Scott Daniel Servais (born June 4, 1967) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who currently manages the Seattle Mariners. A major league catcher for eleven seasons, Servais was previously the assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and director of player development for the Texas Rangers. He played in the National League for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Colorado Rockies.
- Age: 57
- Birthplace: La Crosse, Wisconsin
Alex Stivrins
Alex Frank Stivrins (born November 29, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'8" (203 cm) 220 lb (100 kg) small forward. Stivrins graduated from Lincoln East High School in 1980 and led East to three state basketball tournament appearances, where they won the state championship in 1978, qualified for state in 1979 and finished runner-up in 1980 in Class A, which is Nebraska's largest classification for high school athletics. He was a two-time Super State and All-Nebraska selection his junior and senior years. He played collegiately at Creighton University and the University of Colorado from 1980 to 1985. He continued his career in the NBA. Stivrins was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 75th overall pick in the 4th round of the 1985 NBA Draft. He played with the Sonics, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.- Age: 62
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
- Brenda J. Council is a labor lawyer in North Omaha, Nebraska. She represented the 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature from 2009 to 2013, serving as the successor of long-time state senator Ernie Chambers who was term-limited. Council lost her re-election bid in 2012 to Chambers, who was able to run for the seat again after sitting out one term.
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Kevin McKenna
CoachKevin Robert McKenna (born January 8, 1959) is a retired American basketball player. He is currently an assistant basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, McKenna played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1988. McKenna was the 19th pick in the fourth round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent four highly successful years as head coach of NCAA Division II Nebraska-Omaha, where he guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons, two North Central Conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. McKenna was named the NCC Coach of the Year in both 2004 and 2005 as well as North Central Regional Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in 2005. He finished with an 89-33 mark in his tenure at UNO. As a high school player, McKenna starred at Palatine High School in Palatine, Illinois before moving on to Creighton University from 1977–1981. McKenna led the Creighton Bluejays to a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular-season championship, two MVC Tournament titles and a pair of NCAA Tournaments. He was an All-MVC pick and team MVP in each of his final two seasons. He remains the only person in MVC history to win an MVC regular-season title, an MVC Tournament championship, an NBA championship and a CBA title. In the summer of 2009, McKenna was selected as the head coach of the Athletes in action AIA college basketball team during a tour of Poland and Germany.- Age: 66
- Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Lance Hill
Lance Hill (born February 17, 1972) is a retired U.S. soccer forward. He spent one season in USISL. Hill attended Creighton University where he was part of the men’s soccer team from 1990 to 1994. During four seasons, he scored 21 goals and added 20 assists. Hill was inducted into the Creighton Hall of Fame in 2007.In 1995, Hill played for the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers. He was named a USISL South Central District Rookie of the Year and a first team All Star. In February 1996, the Colorado Rapids selected Hill in the 11th round (102nd overall) of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft after an impressive showing in the MLS combine. While he made the preseason roster, he was released before playing a regular season game. In 2004, he played for Legends F.C. in the 2004 U.S. Open Cup.- Age: 53
- Uwem Akpan (born May 19, 1971) is a Nigerian writer. He is the author of Say You’re One of Them (2008), a collection of five stories (each set in a different African country) published by Little, Brown & Company. It won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the PEN Open Book Award, and was picked by the Oprah Winfrey Book Club on September 17, 2009.
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Joseph F. Bataillon
JudgeJoseph F. Bataillon (born 1949) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.- Age: 76
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Janelle Hornickel
- Age: Dec. at 20 (1984-2005)
- Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska
Wally Anderzunas
Walter Charles "Wally" Anderzunas (January 11, 1946 – May 28, 1989) was an American basketball player. He attended high school in Omaha, Nebraska and collegiately for the Creighton University. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 6th round (70th pick overall) of the 1968 NBA draft and by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2nd round (25th pick overall) of the 1969 NBA draft. He played for the Cincinnati Royals (1969–70) in the NBA for 44 games.- Age: Dec. at 43 (1946-1989)
Jackie Gaughan
John Davis Gaughan, Sr. (October 24, 1920 – March 12, 2014) was a casino owner and operator from the early 1950s in Las Vegas, Nevada. He had an ownership stake in many casinos throughout his career, but he is best known for his ownership of the El Cortez, where he resided until his death on March 12, 2014. At one time Gaughan reportedly owned more than 25 percent of the available real estate in Downtown Las Vegas.- Age: Dec. at 93 (1920-2014)
- Birthplace: Hastings, Nebraska
Walter M. Calinger
PoliticianWalter M. Calinger (born January 2, 1940) is a former lawyer, former mayor of Omaha and education official.- Age: 85
Jeremy Nordquist
Jeremiah J. Nordquist (born November 10, 1981) is a politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. Nordquist represented an Omaha district in the Nebraska Legislature from 2009 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
Jana Murrell
Miss Earth USA (formerly Miss Earth United States) is an annual beauty pageant which selects the United States representative to Miss Earth which is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness.The current titleholder is Emanii Davis from Georgia who was crowned on June 30, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Payne, the titleholder of 2015, is the second delegate from the United States to receive an elemental title after Andrea Neu received a Miss Earth - Air finish in 2014.In January 2016, owners of Miss Earth, Carousel Productions, Inc., announced, through their official Facebook fan page, that the Miss Earth USA program would be managed by U.S. Earth Productions, Inc. under the leadership of national director Laura Clark.- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
- Matt Maginn is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He plays bass guitar in the indie-rock band Cursive and is a frequent contributor on a number of Bright Eyes records. He was also a founding member of Slowdown Virginia. He also helps run Team Love Records and was previously with Saddle Creek Records for 5 years. He graduated from Creighton University with a degree in Environmental Science.
Rachelle Hruska
Rachelle J. Hruska MacPherson (born March 7, 1983) is an American new media entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and CEO of GuestofaGuest.com and Lingua Franca. In 2011, Fast Company named Hruska the one of the Most Influential Women in Technology. In January 2013, the New York Post included Hruska as one of their 13 Under 30 Women to Watch.- Age: 42
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Tom White
PoliticianTom White (born October 26, 1956) is a former member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature from Omaha, Nebraska. He represented the 8th District, which consists of the Benson and Dundee neighborhoods in Omaha. Born in Columbus, Nebraska, he received his B.A. in philosophy and history from Regis University in 1979. He graduated from Creighton University School of Law in 1983. He was elected to the Legislature in 2006. He served on the Business and Labor, Revenue, and Urban Affairs Committees, as well as the Committee on Committees and Executive Board. He also served as the Vice Chair of the Retirement Systems Committee from 2007 to 2008.Since his election to the Nebraska Legislature, White has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for Governor or Congress. In early July 2009, he formerly announced he was raising money and laying groundwork for a run for Congress from the Omaha-area Second Congressional District. He officially launched his campaign on September 9, 2009, positioning himself as a "tax-fighting, pro-business Democrat who loves the word 'nonpartisan.'"- Age: 68
- Birthplace: Nebraska, USA
Scott Lautenbaugh
Scott Lautenbaugh (born November 11, 1964 in Sioux City, Iowa) is a politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. He served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2007 to 2014, representing an Omaha district.- Age: 60
- Birthplace: Sioux City, Iowa, USA
Lyle Elmer Strom
Lyle Elmer Strom (born January 6, 1925) is an inactive Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.- Age: 100
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Andrei Gotsmanov
Andrei Gotsmanov (born 6 May 1986) is a Belarusian footballer.- Age: 38
- Birthplace: Minsk, Belarus
Matt Schultz
LawyerMatt Schultz (born July 23, 1979) is an American Republican politician who served as Iowa Secretary of State.- Age: 45
Jim Ward
LawyerJames Ward (born December 5, 1957) is a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 86th district. He has served since 2003 and served as the House Minority Leader from 2017 to 2019, succeeded by Representative Tom Sawyer as of January 14th, 2019. Prior to his election to the House, Ward served in the Kansas Senate from 1991 to 1993 and on the Wichita City Council in 1991. Ward announced but later withdrew his candidacy for the 2018 gubernatorial election in Kansas.- Age: 67
- Connie Sue Yori (born October 3, 1963) is the former head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team representing the University of Nebraska in NCAA Division I competition. She formerly coached Loras College (a Division III school) from 1990–92 and Creighton from 1992–2002. In 2009–10, Yori was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year, AP College Basketball Coach of the Year and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year after guiding Nebraska to a 32–2 record and the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet 16.
- Age: 61
- Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa
Neil Johnson
Neil A. Johnson is a retired American basketball player born in Jackson, Michigan. A 6'7" forward/center from Creighton University, Johnson played four seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, then spent three seasons in the American Basketball Association with the Virginia Squires. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his professional career and appeared in the 1971 ABA All-Star Game. Known as an "enforcer", Johnson is remembered in the ABA oral history book Loose Balls for punching Warren Jabali in a game between the Virginia Squires and Denver Rockets. Referee John Vanak called the punch "the most devasating punch [he'd] ever seen on the court". According to Vanak, Jabali was one of the most physical players in the ABA, and had been shoving Johnson and his teammates throughout the game until Johnson retaliated. Dave Twardzik of the Squires recalled, "It scared the hell out of me, but the guys on my team were loving it because the whole league hated Jabali."- Age: 81
- Birthplace: Jackson, Michigan
Paul Gosar
Businessperson, Politician, DentistPaul Anthony Gosar (; born November 27, 1958) is an American politician who has served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona since 2011. Since 2013 he has represented Arizona's 4th congressional district, which includes most of the rural western portion of the state, as well as a few suburbs of Phoenix; he represented the neighboring 1st district during his first term. Gosar is a member of the Republican Party.- Age: 66
- Birthplace: Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA
Porter Moser
Basketball Coach, CoachPorter Andrew Moser (born August 24, 1968) is the head men's basketball coach at Loyola University Chicago. Originally from Naperville, Illinois, Moser attended and played varsity basketball at Benet Academy, and then Creighton University. Moser previously held the head coaching position at Illinois State (2003–2007) and Arkansas-Little Rock (2000–2003). Prior to being hired at Loyola, Moser was an assistant coach at Saint Louis under Rick Majerus for the 2007-08 season, and the associate head coach from 2008-11.- Age: 56
- Birthplace: Naperville, Illinois
Paul Fitzgibbon
Joseph Paul Fitzgibbon (March 21, 1903 - March 12, 1975) was a professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Duluth Eskimos, Frankford Yellow Jackets, Chicago Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers. Following his football career Paul Fitzgibbon became a neurologist and later one of the seven founding members of the Permanente Medical Group, now Kaiser Permanente.- Age: 121
- Birthplace: South Dakota
Christian Fong
BusinesspersonChristian Fong is a leader in California and Iowa business, a former candidate for Governor of Iowa (2009-2010) and Iowa Flood of 2008 disaster recovery leader. A long-time resident of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he currently lives in Mill Valley, California with his wife Jenelle and three young children. He is a member of the Republican Party of Iowa and announced in June 2009, that he was seeking the Republican nomination for the 2010 Iowa Gubernatorial Election. In December 2009, Fong announced he was suspending his campaign due to difficulty raising campaign funds after the entry of former Governor Terry E. Branstad to the race. At the age of 35, Fong was widely seen as a rising star within the Iowa Republican Party and was named as a possible Lieutenant Governorial candidate for former Governor Terry E. Branstad's 2010 gubernatorial bid.- Age: 48
Tanya Warren
CoachTanya Warren (born 1965) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at the University of Northern Iowa.Lormong Lo
Lormong Lo (1959-2011) was the first Hmong American to be appointed to a city council in the U.S, in 1994, to manage the largest metropolitan city (Omaha—480,000 people) of a state like Nebraska. He was re-elected in June 1997 to a second full-term from 1997 until June 2001. In June 1997, Lo is the first Hmong ever to become president of a city council in the U.S., Omaha City Council, who presided over the official meetings of the council. He is the first to ever hold the title of Acting Mayor of the City of Omaha starting in June 1997. Lo was the first Hmong American to ever become elected President of the Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO) by his APAMO colleagues, a constituency group of the National League of Cities, in Washington, D.C.. He was selected to be Vice-Chair of both the Economic Development Committee and the Program Committee of NLC. In these positions, he helped write municipal policies, e.g., housing and economic development policies for the 15,000 cities in the United States and was responsible for its conference planning. He often lobbied the U.S. Congress and White House officials on policies of interest to the cities, especially credit, economic, housing and immigration policies. In 1998, he was appointed by Governor of Nebraska Ben Nelson and served as a member of the Nebraska Public Employee Retirement System, where he oversees the state's $5 billion retirement assets. He is the first Hmong American official to be welcome in Beijing by the Vice-Premier of China. In 1988-89, Councilman Lo made official visits to China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan—where he met with foreign ministers, dealing with trade issues and promotions and the Prime Minister of Thailand, where thanked the Thai people, Thai government and Thai monarchy for providing humanitarian support to the Hmong and Indochinese refugees in Thailand for a decade, until they are resettled into third countries, particularly the U.S., Canada, France and Australia. Lo is one of the first Hmong born in Laos to go back to hold face to face meetings with the cabinet ministers of the Lao communist government concerning the alleged communist use of chemical warfare against the Hmong people and its continuing attacks on the Hmong villages in Northern Laos, particularly at Muang Mok. Through such direct talks, Laos has gradually opened the door to visitors who were natives of Laos. He attended gatherings at the White House during the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, while he discussed municipal policies with White House officials as leader of APAMO during the Bill Clinton administration. On July 18, 2011, Lo was feeling sick and checked into a hospital near his home in Arkansas. He later returned home and died in his sleep the following day. He was 52 years old. He is survived by his wife and five children.- Age: Dec. at 52 (1959-2011)
- Birthplace: Laos
Christopher Elias
Christopher J. Elias is the former president and CEO of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, also known as PATH, a nonprofit organization that improves global health by ensuring that innovations in science and technology are available to low income groups and developing countries.Timothy R. Lannon
Timothy Ryan Lannon, S.J. was the 24th president of Creighton University from July 1, 2011 to January 20, 2015. He was previously the president of Saint Joseph's University.- Age: 73
Mike Stick
- Age: 52
Marcia Anderson
Marcia Carol Martin Anderson became in 2011 the second African-American woman, after Rosetta Burke, to achieve the rank of major general in the United States Army Reserve. She was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, and finished school in St. Louis, Missouri. As a civilian, General Anderson serves as clerk for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. A graduate of Creighton University and Rutgers Law School, she is married to Amos Charles Anderson. She originally signed up for the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Creighton University because she needed a science credit. She lives in Wisconsin. Her military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, with two Oak Leaf ClustersMeritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Parachutist Badge, and Physical Fitness Badge.- Age: 68
- Birthplace: Beloit, Wisconsin
